Improvement in looms



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J E. OLDPIELD.

Looms. No. 196,694. Pate-nted Oct. 30, 1877.

NJ'ETERS, PMOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, u C

UNITED STATES EDWIN OLDFIELD, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,694, dated October30, 1877; application filed February 7, 1877.

- useful Improvement in Looms, which improve- 'men-t is fully set forthin the following specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, in which-- Figure 1 represents a vertical section in the planeas w,F-ig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section in the plane 3 y, Fig. 1.

The remaining figures are details, which will be referred to as thedescription progresses.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to certain improvements in looms; and consists incombining with the picker-staff of a loom, and with its picker-head, aroller, said roller being arranged on the upper end of the picker-staff,and seated within the picker-head, in such a manner that the picker-headcan swivel in a vertical plane and lie flat on the shuttle-racethroughout the entire stroke of the picker-staff, thereby producing arectilinear movement of the pickerhead, preventing the tendency of theshuttle to fly out of the box.

The invention also consists in the combination, with the shuttle, theshuttle-race, and the a releasing-lever, arranged and operating in sucha manner as to compensate for the varying thickness of thefilling-threads.

The invention further consists in combining with the reed a rail, whichis held up against the bottom part of said reed through the medium ofpivoted bell-crank levers, one end of said levers adapted to rest uponthe side of the rail, while the other ends are connected with springs,which are attached upon pulleys of a shaft carrying a ratchet-wheel, insuch manner as to regulate the tension of said springs and their actionupon the said bellcra-nk levers, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the frame of my loom, whichforms the bearlngs for the crank-shaft B, from which motion istransmitted to the lay. This lay consists of the beam C, which supportsthe shuttle-boxes D D and the reed E, and which is secured to twouprights, F, that swing on pivots a, secured in the frame A. On theseuprights are secured brackets b, which form the bearings for pivots c,on which swing the picker-staffs G G. The lower ends of thesepicker-staffs are connected to thelowerends of the uprights F by meansof springs d, which have a tendency to throw the upper ends of saidpickerstaifs outward.

The motion of the picker-staffs is produced by two cams, e c, which aremounted 011 a shaft, H, that runs parallel to the crankshaft B, and isgeared with the same by cog-wheels f g, of such proportion that theshaft B makes two revolutions for each revolution of the shaft H. Thecams e c act on tappet-arlns h h, which extend from a rock-shaft, I,that is situated beneath the sh aft H, and runs at right angles to thesame. On the ends of said tappet-arms are secured anti-friction rollersi i, which bear against the cams e e. 0n the rock-shaft I is secured alever, j, which connects, by straps k k, with the picker-staffs G G andthe cams e e, and tappet-arms h h are so arranged that by their action apositive rocking motion is imparted to the rock-shaft, and, by thestraps k it this motion is transmitted to the picker-staffs, said strapsbeing kept tight by the action of the springs d.

Thepicker-heads Z are provided with a roller, m, (see Figs. 1 and 7,)having a transverse opening, through which passes the end of thepicker-stafi, the arrangement and construction being suchthat thepicker-heads can swivel in a vertical plane, and are enabled to restupon the shuttle-race, and to move parallel, thereby preventing theshuttle from being thrown out of the shuttle-boxes.

On the inside of each of the shuttle-boxes is situated a segmentalcushion, K, made of india-rubber or other elastic material. Thesesegmental cushions are mounted on vertical arbors n, which are gearedwith a shaft, 0, that has its bearings in boxes secured to the beam 0 ofthe lay, and receives a rocking motion by a belt, 19, which is fastenedat its ends to pulleys r r, mounted on the rock-shaft o, and at itsmiddle to a pulley, g, which is mounted on a rock-shaft, s, that has itsbearings in brackets secured to the main frame, and runs parallel to therock-shaft I. On the rock-shaft s are secured two tappet-arms, t t,which bear against cams u u, mounted on the shaft H. At the moment theshuttle enters one of the shuttle-boxes, the segmental cushion K in saidbox is in such a position (see Fig. 2) that the shuttle strikes againstit, and then said segmental cushion is turned in the direction of thearrow shown on it in Fig. 2, and the shuttle is slowly carried forward.By this secondary forward motion of the shuttle the filling-thread isdrawn out straight, and retained thus until it is locked by the crossingof the warp, and perfect selvages are produced. The segmental cushioncontinues to move in the same direction until it releases the shuttle,leaving the same entirely free to receive the blow of the picker,instead of having to be driven out when held by a spring, as in thelooms of the ordinary construction.

The reed E, instead of being firmly secured to the lay, is placed withits bottom edge against a rail, '0, Figs. 3 and 4, while its top edgerests in a groove, to, so that the bottom edge can move backward. Therail 22 is retained in position by bell-crank levers a, which have theirfulcra on pivots secured in brackets b, which are fastened to the beam(3 of the lay.

From the horizontal arms of the bell-crank levers extend springs c, thelower ends of which connect by cords or straps with pulleys d, moimtedon a shaft, 0, that has its bearings in the uprights of the lay, and isretained in position by a ratchet-wheel, f, and pawl g. (See Fig. 1.) Byturning this shaft in the proper direction the springs c are strained,the power with which the rail 1) is retained being thereby increased,and vice versa. Instead of using bell-crank levers, however, a simplelever, a", (see Fig. 4,) may be used, which is drawn up against the rail12 by a spring, 0.

The object of this'arrangement is to compensate for filling-threads ofdifferent thicknesses, particularly if the filling-thread begins to runfine.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the reed, every timeit reaches the cloth-making point, springs back a short distance, and itis obvious that when the filling-threads begin to run finer the reedwill not spring back so far at each pick as it does when the filling-threads run with the standard size, and the number of picks to the inchin the fabric will increase correspondingly, so that the fabric is madeeven and one thickness throughout, instead of having some places thatare thick and others thin.

The take-up roll L is made tubular, and it is mounted on the shaft M,Fig. 5, being connected to said shaft by spiral spring N, so that whenthe take-up roll is held fast, and the shaft is turned in the properdirection, the spring is wound up, imparting to the take-up roll atendency to revolve in the direction of the arrow marked near it in Fig.6 or in the proper direction for taking up the fabric. The shaft M hasits bearings in the frame A, and it receives an intermittent revolvingmotion by a ratchet-wheel and pawl, or by any other suitable mechanismgenerally employed for imparting motion to take-up rolls in looms.

With the roll L is firmlyconnected a ratchetwheel, 0, with which engagetwo or more pawls, h 6, of difierent length, so that they drop in gearwith said ratchet-wheel at intermediate points. In the end of thetake-up roll are a series of holes, j, for the insertion of ahand-lever, whereby the weaver is enabled to let the fabric back to thereed, or to draw it down.

In order to allow the take-up roll to turn back, the pawls h 6 have tobe thrown out of gear with the ratchet-wheel O. For this purpose ahand-lever, k, is used, which has a toe that bears against the tails ofthe pawls, so that when the hand-lever is depressed all the pawls arethrown out of gear with the ratchetwheel.

If the reed beats up the filling, the spring of the take-up rollimmediately takes up all the slack, and consequently, if thefilling-thread runs coarse, the fabric is taken up by the roll L, tocorrespond to the thickness of the fillingthread, and an even fabric isproduced.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the picker-stafl' of a loom and with itspicker-head, of a roller arranged upon the end of the picker-stafl' andseated within the picker-head, substantially as described, whereby saidpicker-head is caused to lie flat on the shuttle-race, and to move in arectilinear direction, for the purpose of preventing the tendency of theshuttle to fly out of the box by the blow of the picker-head, as hereinset forth.

2. The combination, with the shuttle, the shuttle-race, and theshuttle-boxes, of elastic cam-shaped cushions and mechanism,substantially as described, for imparting thereto a revolving motion,whereby asecondary motion is imparted to the shuttle after the same hasentered a shuttle-box, substantially as and for the purposes shown anddescribed.

3. The combination, with the take-up-actuating mechanism and with thetake-up roll, of which is held up againstthe bottom part of the aspring, N, retaining-pawls h i, ratchet-wheel reed, allowed to springback a short distance 0, and releasing-leverk, substantially as andwhenever it reaches the cloth-marking point, for the purpose described.as set forth.

4. In combination with the reed and the rail, Intestimony that I claimthe foregoing I have the pivoted bell-crank levers a, springs c,hereunto set my hand and seal.

shaft 6, to which said springs are attached, and EDWIN OLDFIELD. [L. s.]ratchet and pawl, arranged to operate sub- Witnesses:

, stantially as described, whereby the tension E. H. LEARNE,

E of the springs can be regulated, and the rail, CHAS. M. TRACY.

